Albert o



A. 0. BUGKIU'S.

TRUNK FASTENING. N0. 373,879. Patented Nov. 29, 1887,.

llVI/E/VTOI? hi ATTORNEY W TIVESSEP uwpzrzns, Photo-Lithograph". Washington. 10.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

ALBERT O. BUGKIUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES A. TAYLOR, OF SAME PLACE.

TRUNK-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,879, dated November 29, 1887.

I Application filed February 19, 1887. Serial No. 228,219. (Model) To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. BUoKius a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of ook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk-Fastenings, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to .certain improvements in trunk-fastenings whereby the construction is greatly simplified and whereby the hasp can be opened and maintained in an open position at a certain angle while the bolt extending down from the top plate is released and withdrawn or returned to be locked by the action of said hasp, substantially as hereinafter described, and as illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows perspective views of the top plate and the body-plate of my improved trunkl'astening. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectionthereof, showing the two plates together; and Fig. 3 shows a modification of the spring used in conjunction with the hasp in the bodyplate.

Reference being had to the drawings, A represents a top plate, which is secured to the lid of a trunk,so that the bolt a thereof extending vertically and centrally down from its lower edge projects below the edge of the trunk-lid. This bolt a is provided with an outward proj ection, b, near its extremity, as shown,whereby the hasp of the fastening attached to the body of the trunk in register therewith can closeover and secure the same,-as will here inafter more fully appear. Besides this bolt a, there projects down from the plate A,on either side of the same, the dowels b b which enter corresponding sockets in the top edges of the vertical ridges c c of the body-plate O, and serve to direct the bolt to between the ridges c a when the lid of the trunk is closed onto the body thereof.

The ridges c c of the body-plate extend parallel to each other a suitable distance, whereupon they merge into a common pocket, d, havinga transverse opening, d, in it, as shown.

Pivoted by means of trunnions e 6, projecting laterally from its lower corners and journaled in recesses e e in the under surface of plate 0, is the hasp D. This hasp conforms in lateral dimensions to the space between ridges c c, and its upper portion is provided with a vertical slot, E, through which, when bolt a of the top plate lies between said ridges and the hasp is oscillated in against the plate, the projection 12 projects.

' Projecting outward from a point centrally between ridges c c, which, when the lid of the trunk is closed, the bolt a of the top plate just touches, is a lug, F. This lugF projects outward to the plane of the outer surfaces of ridges o c, and has projecting toward thelower end of plate 0 a flange, f.. The slot E of hasp D is of such length vertically that the lug F, when the hasp is closed, projects through said slot just below projection b.

Secured centrally and longitudinally to the inner surface of hasp D is a flat spring, G, which extends below the pivotal point of the hasp (at which point it is made thicker, so as to bow said spring) to and through the transverse opening d, where its lower end rests in a depression or rabbet, adjacent to said opening d, as shown. Thus it will be observed by reference to the drawings that when the hasp is oscillated outward the spring G is bowed to such an extent that its flexibilityhas a tendency to restoreit to its original position the moment the hasp is released. It is desirable, however, when the hasp is oscillated outward to maintain it at about the angle shown while bolt cais being withdrawn or advanced toward plate C and into position to be locked. I accomplish this by bending springG at about the lower terminus of slot E inward at about an angle of forty-five degreesto the back of the hasp, making a spring arm, h, the extremity of which is shaped so as to form a transverse depression on the upper surface, as

shown in Fig. 2. The flange fof lug F is of 0 such projection and the depression of arm h of such shape that when the hasp is oscillated outward thesaid arm bears against the flange f until the depression in its end is reached, when itsnaps over the outer edge of said flange, holding the hasp sufficiently secure to prevent it of its own volition returning to its original position and maintaining it open, as shown. By pressing slightly upon the hasp the spring-arm 7i releases its hold on flange f, and the hasp, by reason of, spring G, returns to its original position.

If desired, any of the usual methods or arrangement of springs for returning and keeping the hasp in its original position may be resorted to and used in conjunction with springarm h. It is also apparent that spring G may be used in combination with other devices for maintaining the hasp in an open position than the arm h described. I prefer, however, to use them together. \Vhen spring G and springarm h are used conjointly, they may be made of separate pieces of material or all in one piece.

Ido not wish to be confined to the use of arm 71 constructed as described, for other shapes may beadoptcd which would operate equally as well. For instance, the arm could be L- shaped and the end of the portion thereof parallel to the back of the hasp made to snap into a transverse groove in the lug F when the hasp has been oscillated outward to a certain angle; or, again, the arm might be perfectly straight with sufficient obliquity to make its pressure against the adjacent surface of lug F create sufiioient friction to maintain the hasp at the angle desired.

It is apparent that the projection b, instead of projecting from the bolt a of the top plate, may be transferred to the end of the hasp D, and when said hasp is closed to lock the bolt (1 enter an opening therein in register with said projection b. As such construction would be but a modification of myinvention as heretofore described, I desire to cover it.

\Vhat I claim as new is- 1. In atrunk-fastener, the combination,with plate 0, provided with a lug, F, of hasp D, having springarm 71, the free end of which is adapted to engage said lug, substantially as set forth.

2. In a trunk-fastener, the eombination,with plate 0, having a lug, F, provided with a flange, f, of a hasp, D, provided with a spring arm, h, secured to the back thereof, said arm having a transverse depression in or near its extremity adapted to engage said flange, substantially as set forth.

3. In a trunk-lock, the combination, with plate 0, having a lug, F, and hasp D, pivoted ated hasp, D, with a slot in its upper end, and

spring-arm h, secured to the back of said hasp and extending at right angles therefrom in register with lug F, as set forth.

ALBERT O. BUCKIUS.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK D. THOMASON,

CHARLES A. TAYLOR. 

